Two years ago, Eric Powers and Weston Goode decided they wanted to make a difference in the Tuscaloosa community. They subsequently joined Circle K International, where they now serve as president and vice president, respectively. Circle K is a student organization that helps the community through volunteer and civic work.
In partnership with Kiwanis International, Circle K will be hosting Pancake Day on the March 28 at Central High School. Tickets are $5 and will be sold Wednesday and Thursday, with group discounts available. Each ticket can be used to pick up a plate of pancakes and sausage on Saturday.
Powers, a junior majoring in restaurant and hospitality management, said Pancake Day is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
“It allows us to work every day as an organization,” he said. “It’s the money that lets us go out and help service projects. Any tickets bought for people who can’t go, we’re going to give those plates to the Tuscaloosa Community Soup Bowl and let people who would go without a meal have a nice warm meal on Saturday.”
Goode, a junior majoring in economics and English, said the organization also partners with the Tuscaloosa Animal Shelter to keep animals engaged through human interaction. Additionally, they help renovate Arts ‘n’ Autism’s new facility by planting trees and laying mulch.
Internationally, the organization seeks to eliminate third-world prenatal tetanus, which causes many infant deaths. Treasurer Jonathan Simpson, a senior majoring in resource management, said Circle K sells vouchers for restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings to help raise money for the cause. Simpson said Pancake Day’s funds help to pay for other fundraisers like this.
The organization is composed of people from vastly different backgrounds, united to make a difference in the community, Powers said. The organization finds a way to accommodate any service projects people want to get involved in.
“That’s the beauty of our club – it’s a club for people who might be totally different from each other, but in the end, they love to help people and make a difference in other people’s lives,” he said.
When Goode and Powers joined, the organization had only 30 members, but Circle K has since more than tripled its membership to 104 members. Both attribute the organization’s success to restructuring the way the club worked and the leadership of their former president Michael Moore.
One of these restructures is the family initiative that splits the organization into four groups of 26, where each group is led by two older members. Goode said the family initiative was designed to make the club more manageable and sociable.
“It’s had a substantial impact in fostering social interaction in the club,” he said. “People go out and do things with each other. I’ve heard from people, ‘Hey, let’s go to dinner or the movies.’”
Public Relations Chair Rachel Stanell, a freshman majoring in chemistry, said she’s enjoyed the social interactions between members, whether it’s grilling out or playing Ultimate Frisbee.
“I was looking for a way to volunteer around the community,” she said. “Circle K has so many ways to serve. There’s really something for everyone.”
Powers said he hopes his time with the organization will have lasting impacts on the community. He said he wants to make a difference in people’s lives.
“What we want to leave is not necessarily a legacy of our own, but a legacy for our club,” he said. “Looking back people can say, ‘Wow, they really made a difference in peoples’ lives.’ Not only did we go help someone for a couple hours, but we really changed their lives.”
